Plane Trek: Organizations
Across the many planes, different cultures, governments and societies have formed. Some are based around particular races, some around a shared history or point of worship, some around the technology they have. Whatever the reason, understanding these groups is of the upmost importance to any Planefleet operative, and to understanding the Planescape. The Federation of Allied Races The largest central government and unified force in this home plane. The Federation’s goals are to form a cosmopolitan alliance between the sentient races toward a more stable, peaceful and prosperous future for all. Initially formed by an alliance between the four core races (Elf, Human, Dwarf, Orc) as a means of fighting off “the Scourge”, a dangerous and, to this day mysterious force (see below). The alliance proved successful and the enemy was fought back, seemingly with no trace left behind. Following this success, the Federation has taken on many other member races (including, but not necessarily limited to, halflings, gnomes, tieflings, eladrin, changeling, goliath, tabaxi, minotaur and, most recently, drow) in different waves and for different reasons. The Federation has also worked out deals with many non-aligned races (including, but not limited to goblinoids, lizard races such as dragonborn and kobold, dragons themselves, bugbears, gith etc.). The Federation has, by and large, been successful in its endeavors and most of its member races do see it as a force for good...mostly. Planefleet An extension of the Airfleet branch of the Federation armed forces, the new branch is designed for travel between and exploration of the other planes of existence. Initially formed to travel via “StarPortals” (a totally original creation DO NOT STEAL), they were most composed of smaller ground teams. However, the latest project is hoping to make this practice obsolete. You are set to join the crew of the first ever Planefleet Vessel, a ship capable of traveling through the planes themselves and marking specific coordinates that allow for the return their ship without need of a gate. This ship is the newly christened USS Adventure. The Scourge Discovered in 2051 AD, the Scourge was one of the biggest existential threats to your home plane. Much of the writing on the Scourge has been lost over the three centuries since its disappearance, so, unfortunately many details on its exact nature are lost to history. It is most widely understood to have been a race of spirit like entities that could impersonate and possess humanoid beings to create mass chaos and organized rebellion amongst societies. The assault of the Scourge eventually lead to the formation of and their defeat by the Federation in its first form. Again, the specifics of how it was repelled are lost to history, but it is known that elven magic’s mixed with orcish shamanistic rituals played a part in their banishment. Where the Scourge went, what its exact nature was and what remains of it now are unknown. As of now, the sources of The Scourge have been revealed. The Scourge was a race of energy based beings called Ones (among many other things) who are driven by a desire to "cluster" or bond with energy and equivalent materials around them. The "possessions" that overtook people were this species' attempts to bond, not understanding the concept of individual will or that some people would not desire to bond. The resulting war and banishment lead to the Ones splitting off into two factions: The Legion The Legion largely float around Void Space and uninhabited worlds now, but occasionally dive into populated worlds and maintain a distance. The Legion is a hive mind of (potentially) tens of thousands of Ones bonded together into a singular entity. The Legion holds very strong taboos about who should and should not be bonded with now as a result of the war, with their strongest taboo being bonding with "sentient organics". Their main drive is to gather more of their kind to strengthen their number. The Ascended (The Joined) A population of Ones existing at coordinates 208522 (see Plane Trek: Known Planes). They view bonding with sentient organic life as a higher calling and one to be strongly pursued, but only with willing consent. They still hold poor feelings about what has happened with the Federation those centuries prior, but in different ways. They have built a society with the native inhabitants of that world built around joining and ascending, to the point where it is viewed by many as a religious experience and calling. The Celestial Bureaucracy A religious empire prioritizing free worship (of permitted gods and practices) and removing what it views as "dark energy" or "sinful" practices. The Bureaucracy's infrastructure is not fully know, but it does possess an armed military and planeship fleet with ranks and is lead by a being known as "The Jade Emperor" who is believed to be divine and immortal. They have expanded from their home world, Dingir-An and into neighboring planes; first through diplomatic means, but sometimes with military might. The are largely opposed right now by a rebel group lead by "terrorists" and armed criminals of the empire called the Oni. The Oni Oni are arcane practicers, illegal worshippers, and other dissenters of the Bureaucracy who have broken off to form both their own society and a task force bent on taking down the Bureaucracy itself. Hiding out on the world of Tang, they are lead by a mysterious figure named Tsukashi and his immediate council. They are also aided by a divine seer named Ava, her race and origins remain unknown. Because of their position, they have also, on occasion, taken in refugees of other worlds. Kymal Little is really known of the Kymal at this time. They've been described as both a race, a union, and an organization. They are largely feared by the peoples that the USS Adventure has encountered. They are believed to have very powerful weapons and/or abilities and it is known that they are aggressive and practice in enslaving people of other worlds. Their goals are largely unknown as of now.